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Lieutenant Governor study group report paves way for women safety in Delhi

The study identifies violence against women as a social mischief and one beyond a law and order issue at that.

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Lieutenant Governor, Anil Baijal’s (c) study group launched the report on Friday at the Indian Women Press Corps
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Women and girls should be empowered to exercise their rights fully as citizens of Delhi by ensuring their inclusion in all the opportunities the city has to offer, stated a report released on Friday by the Lieutenant Governor's study group on Women's Safety in the National Capital Territory (NCT) at the Indian Women Press Corps.

The study group — Shri Sanjay Baniwal, IPS special CP Women Safety; Dr Krishna Manon, Ambedkar University; Dr Pamela Singla, Professor, University of Delhi; Smt Kalpana Vishwanath, Co-founder of Safetypin, and Ms Monica Kumar, Manas Foundation; Shri OP Mishra, IAS, Additional Secretary, and Nimesh Desai, Director, IHABAS — identified four areas including universities and educational institutions, public spaces and transport, women and girls from low-income groups and homeless and other marginalised women in Delhi as the central concern.

The study identifies violence against women as a social mischief and one beyond a law and order issue at that. Their primary concern is to deal with the crime in public places, public transport, schools, colleges, public toilets and such while also paying attention to domestic violence.

The study further considers the psychological and sociological factors in adolescents, first time offenders and repeat offenders, and the need to study their mentality accordingly. It recommends to phase out the single sex schools.

Sanjay Baniwal said it is important to have another women in force in order to make women feel safe at public places. If a woman is guarded by a female traffic police officer, a female bus conductor or a female bus driver, she will feel safer.

Several recommendations like "Between the Stops", an idea which enables connectivity with the police station of the upcoming bus stop whenever a women reports an assault in the bus, training and education to the school going girls and boys, installation of street lights and cameras on dingy places, improved infrastructure of waiting areas and inclusion of women's voice in urban planning and many more.

The study group advocates for the rights of women to live in a free and fair city and enjoy life without fear of being assaulted. It challenges the culture of fear and violence and asserts their right to a safe city.

FOR THE FORTE

The group identified four areas including universities and educational institutions, public spaces and transport, women and girls from low-income groups and homeless and other marginalised women in Delhi as the central concern

RECOMMENDATIONS MADE IN THE STUDY FOR WOMEN’S SAFETY

Department of Higher Education and Department of Education (Schools)

1. Single sex schools for boys should be phased out and greater focus should be on outdoor and cultural activities that involve groups of boys and girls learning, playing and working together

2. Sex education programs that are age and context specific should be devised and reviewed with inputs from experts

3. Strengthen and publicise mechanisms that address sexual harassment on campus such as committees against sexual harassment, Internal Complaints Committees(ICC), Women’s Development Centres(WDC)

Delhi Police

1. Special recruitment drives should be undertaken in colleges and universities located in Delhi, with a focus on reaching out to young women recruits as well as to enhance the diversity within the force

2. Request the universities and NGOs to offer MOOC (massive online open courses) drawing from sociology, criminology, gender studies, social work public policy and related fields to certify and train personnel from time to time

3. Increase patrolling by women personnel and their presence outside schools and colleges

Public Transport / Transport Infrastructure

1. After dark, a “between stops” programme should be introduced so that women can request the bus to be stopped at a spot nearest to their destinations, rather than only at the bus stop

2. CCTV cameras in designated places such as bus stop as two – way communication mechanisms should be installed on an experimental basis to begin with

3. The city government of Quito, Ecuador has introduced a new mechanism to deal effectively with sexual harassment on buses. A helpline has been installed inside the bus which links directly to a police control room. As the complaint is received, the police tracked the bus through its GPS and land up at the next stop to apprehend the perpetrator

Transport and Infrastructure

1. Women’s voice in the transport planning process should be incorporated immediately so as to understand the specific nature of women’s transport needs and concerns

2. Polices to ensure more women’s participation in the transport work force – such as drivers, conductors should be formulated on an urgent basis

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